Truck with speakers warning residents that flooding was imminent near Soi On Nut (all image credits: © 2011 Julian Allain and restaurant dining critiques dot com)

This is fundamentally a flood that never materialized, at least in the area in which we live, or for that matter in most parts of central Bangkok. This is not to imply that this flood was and is a very devastating disaster for Southeast Asia, and there is deep, filthy floodwater containing sewerage, garbage and dead animals  in  suburbs to the west, east and north of the central district of the city, as you can see in the video below. Water flowing from the tap has a smell of dirt. The public caused the most inconvenience,  by panic hoarding of essential goods such as: bottled water, toilet paper and prepackaged foods (instant noodles being the most popular item being bought in large quantities) and Bangkok supermarket shelves were emptied weeks before the flood was even close to emerging anywhere near the capitol. Bottled water was still available if cost was not an issue: Evian, Badoit, Vittel and other expensive imported water is still available even now. Wine and alcoholic beverages are and always were readily available as well as most beer. Asahi Beer from Japan produced in Thailand was suspended for both draft and bottle production for a period of time, even though other imported beers were not affected. The government declared public holidays from Thursday, 27 October thru Monday, 31 October to give time for people to help their families, and many businesses piled up sandbags or built concrete walls around their storefronts and shut down.

Waist deep in flood-water

Flooded klong

Trying to make it through the flood waters

Bottled water section almost empty

Instant noodle section completely empty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhMp8AnhDF4